Due to a group of demonstrators who have taken over the Chixoy hydroelectric facility, there is a risk that in Guatemala electricity service rates will increase by up to 10%.

Since September 25th, a group of people claiming the payment of a complementary compensation has taken over the hydroelectric plant Chixoy, one of the most important in the country, and threatens to set it on fire.

Adverse court decisions against companies, social and political conflicts and fiscal issues are some of the factors that are impeding the development of productive projects in Central American countries.

One of the latest court decisions affecting companies with investments in the region was that of Minera Petaquilla, in Panama.

Due to social conflicts and various legal processes, 16 hydroelectric projects have been halted in Guatemala, which together amount to an investment of close to $1.5 billion.

The Association of Generators of Renewable Energy (Ager) reported that power generation projects have been suspended because of conflicts with communities in the zones, consultation processes with indigenous peoples, and orders issued by the Constitutional Court, many of which which have been in response to claims raised by environmental organizations.These projects, for which no light can yet be seen at the end of the tunnel, represent an installed capacity of 460 MW.

In the last ten years the use of renewable energy has doubled in the country, and currently sources of generation of this type represent between 65% and 70% of national consumption.

According to the authorities at the National Electricity Commission (CNEE), the stability that has been achieved in electricity rates and the lower dependence on oil derivatives, is due to the fact that the country is consuming more energy generated through renewable sources.